Locomotive



June 18, 1929. LOWER 1,718,055

' LOCOMOTIVE Filed July 19, 1926 2 sneets sheet 1 June 18; 1929. N. M, L W R 1,718,055

LOCOMOT IVE Filed July 19, 1926 2 SheetsShee-i; 2

Patented dune 18, 1 929.

UNITED STATES 1 1,718,055 PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN M. Lowers, or PITTSBURGH, rENNsYLvAmA, ASSIGNOR, BY mnsnn ASSIGN- MENTS, To THE STANDARD STOKER COMPANY me, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A con- I'OBATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed July 19,

The invention relates to locomotives, and particularly to improvements in the fireboxes thereof, its object being to provide imroved means for the introduction of fuel mto the fire-box, particularly when a power actuated stoker is employed.

The invention consists in a locomotive having a wall of its fire-box offset inwardly, the offset enclosing a chamber through which the fuel may be-introduced.

Preferred forms of the invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a detail inside elevation of the rear wall or back-head of a locomotive fire-box;

Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; A l,

Fig. 4 is a view similarto Fig. 2, showing a slightly modified form of construction;

- Fig. 5 is a detail outside elevation of a backhead of the fire-box;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 isa sectional detail on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of a distorted ring incorporated into the back-head and partly surrounding the firing door opening and bounding the upper marginof the oifset portion of the back-head.

In the construction of locomotive boilers it is the practice to form the walls of the firebox as water legs, the chambers of which are in communication with and form portions of the boiler. The lower ends of these waterlegs are ,closed by a heavy continuous metal structure known in .the 'art as the mud ring. The rear wall of Y the fire-box, commonly called the back-head, is usually inclined somewhat in its upper portion,-and its lower portion may be vertlcal. With these detalls, however, the present inventlon 1s not, broad 1y considered, concerned. I v

In the accompanying drawings the backhead is designated by the numeral 10, the 1nterior of the fire-box being marked 11.' The back-head is provided with the usual hand firing door opening, 12, to which any suitable form of closure, (none bein shown) may be applied. The mud ring is s own and I indicated at 13.

In carrying out the invention that portion of the back-head 10 which is immediately be- LOCOMOTIVE.

1926. Serial No. 123,441.

head, being located between the portions 1920 of the inner and outer sheets of the back-head which are inwardly offset.

Preferably the offset portion of the backhead is inclined downwardly and backwardly, its lower end being either somewhat forward of the main portion of the back-head, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, or may merge into the same plane as shown in Fig. 6.

A cover plate 21 is applied to the outer face of the back-head, forming an outer wall or closure for the chamber 22 which is enclosed within the inwardly offset portion of the latter. Preferably the plate 21 extends above the hand firing door opening 12 and is apelrl'tured as indicated at 23 in register therewit Any suitable means may be provided for the introduction of fuel into the firebox The upper margin of the offset portion 14 of the back-head may be horizontal, as shown in Fig. 4, or it may be downwardly and forwardly inclined, as shown plainly in Figs. 2 and'6. The latter form has the advantage of providing for the free escape upwardly of any steam which maybe generated within the offset portion of the back-head.

The invention provides a fuel feeding chamber or passage leadingto the interior of the fire-box, the inner walls of which are as effectually protected against the destructive action of the intense heat as are all other portions of the fire-box walls, and the grate area need not be encroached upon or materially reduced, even though it may be desired to increase the capacity of the feeding chamher or passage to a greater extent than is indicated in the drawings.

The described structure provides for the introduction of fuel into the fire-box by means of some formof force feed to and through the chamber inclosed by the ofl'set section of the backhead, and for its scattering over the grate by means such as a steam blast acting upon it as it issues from the chamber.

While preferred forms of construction are shown and described, other forms are available within the scope of the invention.

It is not of the essence of the invention in its broader aspects that the ofiset of the backhead be associated with the hand firing door opening. It may be entirely separate therefrom inasmuch as the purpose for which it is intended is alternative to the main purpose for which the usual door opening is provided. In any case the offset section of the wall is open at the top for the passage of fuel into the firebox.

Neither is the invention limited to the location of the ofiset at the bottom of the wall, nor

' backhead, it may be in any other wall of the fire-box through which it may be desired to introduce the fuel.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A locomotive having a-boiler and a firebox, a wall of the firebox being hollow and in counication with the boiler, and having an inwardly ofiset section, the recess provided Ey said ofiset opening upwardly into the fire 2. A locomotive having a boiler, the backhead thereof having an inwardly ofiset section, the recess provided by such ofi'set opening upwardlyg into the fire box.

3. A locomotive having a boiler, a section of the backhcad on the vertical median line thereof being inwardly ofl'set, the recess provided by such ofiset opening upwardly into the firebox.

4. A locomotive having a boiler, the backhead thereof being provided with a hand firing opening, the section of the backhead immediatelybelow such opening being inwardly ofl'set, and a ring bounding the firing opening and the top margin of the ofi'set.

5. A locomotive having in combination, a

boiler and a firebox, a wall of the firebox being hollow and in communication with the boiler and having an inwardly offset section,

the recess provided by such ofiset being upwardly open, and an apertured plate applied to the exterior of the wall and crossing the recess provided by the ofiset section.

6. A locomotive having in combination, a boiler, the backhead thereof having an inwardly ofl'set section, the recess provided by such ofiset opening upwardly into the fire- .box, and an apertured plate applied to the exterior of the backhead and crossing the recess provided by the ofi'set section.

7. A locomotive having, in combination, a boiler, the backhead thereof being provided with a hand firing opening, the section of the backhead immediately below such opening being inwardly ofiset, and a plate applied to the exterior of'the backhead and having apertures, respectively in register with the hand firing opening and communicating with the recess provided by the ofiset section.

8. A locomotive boiler having a firebox, the rear wall of the box being hollow and provided with a hand firing opening, the section of the wall immediately below and defining the bottom of the named opening being ofi'set inwardly, and means closing the upper margin of the ofi'set section and being-connected with the undistorted portion of the wall.

9. A locomotive having a boiler and a fire box, the backhead of the box being hollow and its chamber being in communication with the boiler chamber, a section of the lower portion of such backhead intermediate of its side man gins being oflset inwardly providing an external recess, such recess opening upwardly into the fire box, and a mud ring bounding the lower margin of the backhead and of its ofiset section.

10. A locomotive having a boiler and a firebox, a wall of the boiler being ofiset inwardly to provide an exterior recess, such recess opening upwardly into the firebox.

11. A locomotive having a boiler and a firebox, the backwall of the firebox being hollow, its chamber communicating with the boiler, such wall being provided with a conventional hand firing opening, such opening being rolonged downwardly in the plane of the wall to provide additional fuelopening tb the firebox, and a hollow upstanding wall joining the margins of the prolongation of the hand firing opening and projecting into the firebox to provide a recess opening upwardly into the firebox.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHAN M. -LOWER. 

